Miracles of Technology and their Downsides

You might have read earlier today about how NTSB investigators are citing a minor carburetor problem which they think contributed to the plane crash in which 73 year-old actor Harrison Ford was injured last March. While the fact that Mr. Ford's injuries in the vintage World War II era plane turned out to be relatively minor was a relief to everyone -- not just for Mr. Ford's friends and family, but for fans worried about his reappearance in upcoming sequels to science fiction classics "Star Wars" and "Blade Runner" -- it does point up one of the ironies of modern life. As the pilot of something of an antique, it's arguable that Ford was taking somewhat more of a risk flying it than some more recent airplane model. It's definitely true that small planes tend to be far more risky than highly advanced commercial airliners. Flying is amazing, but the potential danger is obvious.

You don't have to be a busy LA accident lawyer to understand that, whether we're talking about the advances that led to the early "horseless carriages" (i.e., cars) or the seeming miracle of modern flight, every advance seems to bring with it new dangers. It gets even more ironic when even advances aimed specifically at improving safety, such as the currently in-development driverless cars may turn out to have some potential complications with personal injury implications of their own.

Comedian Louis C.K. in his now famous routine pokes fun at how unappreciative we all are of the technological miracles we experience every day, including cross-country commercial flights that have become almost absurdly speedy and safe when compared to earlier forms of travel. At the same time, of course, when a company or individual provides a service, it's their duty to make it as safe as possible. Cars might have been almost miraculous at one point, but auto manufacturers had to be pressured to make cars less dangerous with improvements like seat belts and airbags. They knew for a fact that these modifications would save lives, but they had to be convinced that it was worth spending the money by an angry public and hard driving lawyers threatening costly lawsuits.

Our own Cameron Yadidi Brock is proud to be a part of a legal tradition that has made today's highly advanced technology safer. It's good to appreciate modern technology, but it's even better to be safe while doing so!